Flower Power Friday

This week I'm featuring Coreopsis "Mercury Rising"



Coreopsis "Mercury Rising"

Coreopsis "Mercury Rising"
Height:  12-15 inches
Wide:  24-36 inches
Blossoms:  Beautiful ruby red with a bright yellow center.
Foliage:  Thread leaves that are bright green
Bloom time:  Early summer through fall
Full sun to part shade
Attracts butterflies and is deer resistant.
Makes for a great cut flower


Coreopsis "Mercury Rising"

First let me just say I love my job, but working in a garden center can have it's disadvantages. 

So I saw this beautiful Coreopsis and I just couldn't resist.  Most coreopsis are shades of yellow and I've even seen some pinks, but this one took my breath away.  I just had to have it.  It has been blooming profusely since I planted it!  This is definitely a great addition to the garden. 

 

Oh and get this if you dislike deadheading.  You won't have to and maintenance is minimal too!  This is a great feature for those of us who are looking for maintenance free plants or for that beginner gardener. 




Coreopsis "Mercury Rising"

The Mercury Rising Coreopsis can be used as a border, in a cottage garden, or any garden for that matter.  If your looking for a plant that stands out.  This is the one to go with!

I've actually have this one with my yellow coreopsis which will look great together.

 

Quote of the week........

Just living is not enough...

one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower. 

~Hans Christian Andersen

 

Happy Gardening!!

 

Flower Power Friday....featuring Love in the Mist

This week we are featuring Love-In-The-Mist.....

 

Love-In-The-Mist

Now here's a uniquely beautiful delicate little flower.  Love-In-The-Mist Nigella Damascena is an annual flower and you can either sow with seeds or get them at your nursery.  If you choose to sow with seeds (I recommend this method) just wait until the last frost when the soil is warm enough for them.  Love-In-The-Mist will get about 14"to 20" tall and they prefer full sun to part shade, they bloom during the summer.  The blooms come in shades of blue, pink and white.  After the blooms have faded there will be this beautiful seed pod with lovely burgundy vertical stripes.  The flowers and the pod heads are great in cut flower arrangements.  If left alone these flowers will re-seed, which will save you time next year.

Love-In-The-Mist

Interesting Facts
~Love-In-The-Mist is related to the Buttercup
~Has been cultivated for over 400 years
~The seeds and leaves are used in India to prevent moth damage to clothing

Quote of the week.........

If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change.

~Buddha
 

Have an Awesome weekend!

 

Click here to see more Flower Photography

Flower Power Friday.......Featuring

 

This week's Flower is

The Geum "Blazing Sunset"

 

Geum "Blazing Sunset" 

(click on the image to view large or purchase)

 

The Geum "Blazing Sunset" is a perennial.  They require full sun to part shade, grow to about 24 inches tall, blooming in late Spring through Summer.  They look great in borders, containers, butterfly gardens or by themselves in clusters displaying their beautiful red/orange flower.  The leaves grow in clumps while the flowers grow on stalks above the clump.  The Geum "Blazing Sunset" is a relatively easy plant to grow and maintain.  After about 3 to 4 years the Blazing Sunset should be divided.  The flowers are great for adding into a bouquet.

These lovelies are deer and disease resistant!

 Geum "Blazing Sunset"

(click on the image to view large or purchase)

 

 

 I've also created a Photo Pendant using the Blazing Sunset.

 

To see more of my Photo Pendants visit my Etsy Shop.

 

Quote of the week........

Look at us, said the violets blooming at her feet, all last winter we slept in the seeming death but at the right time God awakened us, and here we are to comfort you. 

                                                                                                                          ~Edward Payson Rod

Have a Awesome Weekend!

Flower Power Friday.....Sea Holly

 

Quote of the Week......

 

"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make

you something else

is the greatest accomplishment."

                                                      Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

 

This week's flower is the Sea Holly Eryngium planum

 

Growing the lovely Sea Holly will make any garden brighter.  The variety I have in my garden Eryngium planum grows about 2-3 feet tall.  Their stems and leaves are a beautiful silvery green and their flowers when in bloom June through September are a wonderful periwinkle blue, purplish blue color.  These flowers love sunny hot locations.  They prefer dry soil and are very low maintenance plants.  Because they have a taproot they are difficult to transplant so it is best to leave them where they are once established.

I actually have the Sea Holly with my Globe thistle (which I will feature in later "Flower Power Friday"). 

 

Interesting Facts.......

 

~This variety are Native to Central and Southeastern Europe to Central Asia.

~They are a member of the Carrot Family although they are not edible.

~They attract lots of bees and butterflies.

~They look fabulous in cut and dried flower arrangements.

 

 

Sea Holly Orb

 

The Sea Holly photograph above is also the Sea Holly Orb.

 

 

Have a wonderful weekend! 

See you on Monday



Flower Power Friday......

This week I'm going to start off with the Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta

These beautiful golden flowers grow to about three feet tall, flowers heads are about 2-3 inches across and are usually in large groups or clusters.  There are readily found in open woods, fields, roadsides and are great splash of color in any garden.  In the garden you can use them as a border, or in a cottage garden.  They simply would look great anywhere.

They bloom from June to September.  They can be grown in sun, part shade or shade.  They have a high tolerance to drought.  If given the perfect growing conditions they can become aggressive.
Generally the Black-eyed Susan is an annual, but is also a biennial or perennial.

Fun Facts......

~The Black-eyed Susan is Maryland's State Flower since 1918.

~The Black-eyed Susan is the official flower of The Preakness Stakes held in May.

~The Black-eyed Susan is a North American native plant.

~The Black-eyed Susans are one of the first plants to start growing after a fire or other natural disasters.

~The Black-eyed Susan is the flower of encouragement, a great flower to send to someone who is having a rough time.

Here is an unique view of the Black-eyed Susan using digital art.

This is my Black-eyed Susan Orb

Quote of the Week

"Too often we underestimate the power
of touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear,
an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring,
all of which have the potential to turn a life around."
                                                                           Leo Buscaglia

See you Monday.......

The Old Railroad Bridge

Working on winter projects and trying to get caught up and ready for the show season.  Trying to keep up with my social networking.  I've been doing some editing and getting ready to add new photos.  In the mean time I would like to post one of my photos from my archives. 

This was taken if I remember correctly near Fort Meyers, Florida. 

The Old Railroad Bridge

This was one of my first photographs that I used my layering techniques on also known as textures.  I have become quite fond of this technique and I'm using it more and more.  One thing I have learned about using textures is to write down everything I do to the photo, because if for whatever reason I lose the photograph it would be near impossible to reproduce it.  I treat each photograph as a recipe.  Once I have completed the photo and I like what I see, I then print it.  If I am happy with how it printed out then I pull out the notebook and note everything I did.  From the name of the textures and the blending method I used, to the brightness or contrast.  In this case every detail is important.  Many times I use many layers and knowing what they are, are important.  I do not depend on my memory.

With this photograph this is the recipe I used:  layer 1-peach blush 80% overlay, layer-2 labyrinth 80 overlay, layer-3 fly 2 70% multiply.  Now I know to some of you these names don't mean a thing, but to me it will allow me to recreate this photo if necessary. 

On another note.  I'm starting up Flower Power Friday again, but there will be Food Friday too.  I'm currently working on some food photography.  I have noticed that folks are looking for photographs to put into there homes either the dining room or kitchen.  Food Friday will also have a tasty recipe with it.

See you Friday...........